Elderly Couple Violently Assaulted In Home Invasion, 4 Arrested In Union County

UNION, NJ — Four Newark men were recently arrested and charged in connection with a violent home invasion carjacking in Union Township from September 2024.

Asim Key, 20, Altamir Thornton, 22, Yashir Phillips, 19, Rahiem Maldonado, 22, all of Newark, were charged with carjacking, burglary, robbery, two counts of aggravated assault, hindering, aggravated arson, and receiving a stolen vehicle, announced the Township of Union NJ Police Department on Tuesday.

The attack reportedly happened on the morning of Sept. 20, 2024, at around 7:30 a.m.

The suspects reportedly forced their way into a home in Union, where they violently assaulted two elderly occupants in an attempt to obtain the keys to a luxury vehicle that was parked in the driveway, said police.

During the assault, the victims sustained serious bodily injury requiring immediate medical attention.

The suspects, who arrived in a BMW X3 which had been previously stolen from Livingston, were able to get keys to one of the victim's vehicles, said police.

They then fled with the victim’s stolen car as well as the stolen vehicle that they arrived in. The Livingston BMW was found shortly after the theft in Newark, completely destroyed after it had purposely been lit on fire, said police.

Before the carjacking in Union, the suspects had been involved in multiple burglaries and thefts in the prior evening all throughout the state, according to an investigation by detectives.

"Through various investigative means and techniques, our detectives along with detectives from several state, local and federal agencies were able to coordinate a complex investigation that led to the identification of these suspects," said police.

The Union Police Department thanked the following agencies for their help in this investigation: The Union County Prosecutor’s Office, Bergen County Prosecutors Office, Newark Police Department, Livingston Police Department, Hillside Police Department, Chatham Police Department, Rumson Police Department as well as the New Jersey State Police and the United States Marshall’s Service.

Maldonado, Thornton and Phillips are currently being held in the Bergen County Jail on unrelated charges. Key is being held at the Essex County Jail.

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